The SnowboardSecrets Szine - Rail Jam, Discount Lift Tickets, Costa Rica...

The Snowboard Szine (say "zeen)

By Lauren Traub Teton

        Issue  #60   12/30/10
==========================================
         In This Issue
==========================================
1. 3^rd Rail Jam – 8 Stops – Killington and Mountain Creek Now

2. SnowboardSecrets.TV.
3. Discounted Snowboard Lift Tickets

4. Flexmeters Snowboard Wrist Guard Video
5. Twifties – Costa Rica Trip

Partner with us on your project, whatever it is. We’re always open to ideas. Just hit “reply.” And health, abundance and happiness in 2011.
==========================================
1. 3^rd Rail Jam – 8 Stops – Killington and Mountain Creek Now

You may already know from my writing and videos that I consider rail jams the best snowboard spectator event and the most fun to watch. The action is close, the tricks are unbelievable, there’s music, and great vibe from the crowd. You don’t have to be a snowboarder or skier to get close to the action because it’s at the base of the mountain unlike at most other snowboard events. But do wear thick soled warm boots with tread!

SnowboardSecrets.TV, my video channel, is proud to be a sponsor of the 3^rd Rail Jam Tour, with 8 stops nationwide. The tour encompasses a freestyle hip-hop concert judged by top DJs and urban graffiti as well as the rail jam. The “Battle Below Zero” will have as many as eight MCs performing their best tracks and being judged on their swagger, flow, style, lyricism, and their ability to rock the crowd.

I am headed to Killington, Vermont for the first stop, this Saturday New Year’s Day, at the main base by the Gondola. Action starts at noon. Sign up on the site for the after-party, at the Wobbly Barn at 9 p.m. You know there will be some great music and dancing there!

Next Sat. Jan. 8 the 3^rd Rail Jam action is at Mountain Creek, Vernon NJ. Come over and say hi to me and get some stickers. I’ll be wearing the crazy jacket from Grenade that you’ve seen on SnowboardSecrets.com.

http://snowboardsecretsblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/under-armour-3rd-rail-jam-competition.html.

Rider registration is open and the other stops on the tour are:

·  January 22, Raging Buffalo, Ill.

·  January 29, Echo Mountain, Colo.

·  February 5, Arizona Snowbowl, Ariz.

·  February 12, Bogus Basin, Idaho

·  February 19, Mountain High, Calif.

·  February 26, Beech Mountain, N.C.

 

=======================================
2. SnowboardSecrets.TV.

Speaking of www.SnowboardSecrets.TV, the site is absolutely rocking! I’ve posted 132 videos of snowboard life, athlete interviews, event and party coverage, favorite lodgings. snowboard safety and comfort tips, USASA, snowboard fashion, and more!

We’ve had almost 150,000 views. Check it out, it’s organized so you can find things easily, using the TV Channel Online (TVCOL.TV) interface template that we developed (and can license to you so you can get a video or article indexing site like this up in a week! And posting videos is super easy!)

Want to see inside the Xandau Snow Park in the Meadowlands, NJ, that’s in the news? We have the ONLY video online of the inside at http://www.snowboardsecrets.tv/videos_sub.php?category_id=33&parent_id=32..
Rails to Riches 2010 Rail Jam at Killington? It’s there. Snow Film Festival NYC, it’s there too on www.SnowboardSecrets.TV!

We also launched a new TVCOL.TV site YESTERDAY called www.SnowboardNews.TV. If you’ve got news and/or video on a resort, product, event, or other, we’ll post it! It’s $20 and your item will be seen!

Partner with us on your project, whatever it is. We’re always open to ideas. Just hit “reply.”

==========================================

3. Discounted Snowboard Lift Tickets and Lodging from Mountain Sports Club - Save $10 Here Now!

See the video where we interview the founder of Mountain Sports Club, and John Siewierski shows you how to save money on lift tickets, lodging, dining, golf and more. Then click the link and use the code below the video to save $10 on the card. It pays for itself and saves you real money the fist time out!

http://www.snowboardsecrets.tv/video.php?id=225

 ==========================================

 4. Flexmeters Snowboard Wrist Guard Video

Don’t wait until AFTER you sustain a wrist injury to wear wrist guards!!

I have been the importer and distributor of Flexmeter Snowboard Wrist Guards and Gloves for over 5 years. Flexmeters, by Docmeter, are a line of snowboard wrist guards recommended on Ski-Injury.com where it says:

“My personal preferences would be the Flexmeter or [other] systems - both of these have been designed by doctors active in the management of snow sports injuries and both have considerable data to support their effectiveness.”

http://www.ski-injury.com/prevention/wrist_guards

I get tons of testimonials from my customers on the Flexmeter Wrist Guards and Gloves and excellent customer service we provide and many of my first customers are now coming back for upgrades.

Testimonials here: http://www.snowboardsecrets.com/flextesti.htm

We sell Azzpadz tailbone protector which are almost invisible beneath your snow pants. You can see how the Azzpadz saved MY butt in the halfpipe at USASA Nationals last spring when I fell off the halfpipe wall, in the video.

See our videos on Flexmeter and Azzpadz and they will answer most of your questions on which product to choose and sizing at http://www.snowboardsecrets.tv/videos.php?category_id=25

Order at www.Flexmeters.com.

We are the only ones who sell a wrist guard with DOUBLE protection, on the palm and dorsal side, as well as stand-alone wrist guards for skateboarding, Trikke, and other sports. www.Flexmeters.com.

==========================================
5. Twifties – Costa Rica Trip

Twifties are the FUN people around age 50 and UP! Fifty is the new 20, Twenty, 50, Twifty!

My friends and I are going to Nosara, Costa Rica for for yoga, relaxation, deep breathing, sun, surf, dancing, food, fun evolved people, and adventure!!

Want to come? It’s not an organized trip, just an invitation.

Travel in your own style, when, where, you like. Meet us there. Dates approximately 2/25 to March 6. Go to http://twiftiescalendar.com/ and sign up for the Twifties list and check the calendar. You can get links there to see videos of our NJ hike and Catamount Zip Line adventures.

Press reply and drop a line if you’re interested!

==========================================
See who's sponsored - at the Who's Who of Snowboarding
http://www.SnowBoardProfiles.com

and if you are sponsored by a shop or team, post YOUR profile up!

http://www.SnowboardEventsCalendar.com is the biggest snowboard events calendar in THE GALAXY!!!

==========================================

Thanks for reading The Snowboard Szine!

Partner with us on your project, whatever it is. We’re always open to ideas. Just hit “reply.”

Lauren
Editor and Creator of

http://www.SnowBoardSecrets.TV
http://www.SnowBoardSecrets.com
http://www.SnowboardEventsCalendar.com
http://www.SnowboardRegistry.com
http://www.SnowboardProFiles.com
and http://www Twifties.TV  for the FUN people over 50!

Westchester County, NY
email Lauren@SnowboardSecrets.com or press "reply"

==========================================
If you like this newsletter, pass it on to a pal who wants
to know more about snowboarding.
They can subscribe at
http://www.talkingnames.com/snowboard-signup.php
and receive free "16 Secrets for Successful Snowboarding"

Copyright © 2010 SnowboardSecrets. All Rights Reserved
==========================================

Sugarloaf Chairlift Derailment - 6 People Injured

CARRABASSETT VALLEY, MAINE (Tuesday, December 28, 2010) - Today, at approximately 10:30am, the Spillway East Chairlift experienced a rope derailment. At this time, we have 6 injured guests who have been treated and transported from the mountain.

All available mountain safety personnel are at the scene. The injured parties have been taken off the mountain. Additionally, the remaining guests on the lift have all been successfully evacuated from the lift.

As of now, the cause of the incident is still unknown and is under investigation.

The Spillway East chair is A 2 passenger monocable fixed grip chair manufactured and installed by Borvig in 1975. This lift was modified in 1983. Spillway East is 4,013 feet long with a vertical of 1,454 feet. This chair moves at a speed of 500 feet per minute and the chairs are 50 feet apart. Their are 162 chairs on this lift each weighing 140lbs. Spillway East has a 250 horsepower motor and has a capacity for 1,200 skiers per hour. The Spillway Chairs run parallel up the Spillway trail. Spillway East runs to the top of the Sluice Headwall and you can access all terrain below the Spillway X-Cut.

The chairlift receives routine daily inspections for safety. Additionally, the chairlift receives weekly, monthly and yearly maintenance and testing. The lift is also inspected annually for it’s safety from the State of Maine Board of Elevator and Tramway Safety.

Sugarloaf Mountain and it’s employees are concerned for the people involved, additionally the resort like to express gratitude to all the safety personnel that have responded to this incident.

Sugarloaf Mountainis absolutely committed to the safety of its guests and employees.

Sugarloaf Mountain will issue updates as more information becomes available.

Note from Lauren Traub Teton, editor SnowboardSecrets.com Blog:
Media were alerted of this incident by Sugarloaf's communication department within 90 minutes. We applaud Sugarloaf's handling of this unfortunate event in every way.

Under Armour 3rd Rail Jam Competition has Eight Stops on its “Snow Meets Hip-Hop” Nationwide Party Tour with DJ Image

Under Armour 3rd Rail Jam Competition has Eight Stops on its “Snow Meets Hip-Hop” Nationwide Party Tour with DJ Image

Hip-hop parties on snow. Snowboard and ski rail contest and party with art and hip-hop music contest on the slopes. Eight resort stops nationwide starting with Killington Vermont on New Years Day 2011 and Mountain Creek, Vernon, NJ on January 8.

By Lauren Traub Teton

Under Armour 3rd Rail Jam Winter Tour invites all to join the excitement as the nation’s best amateur skiers and snowboarders compete at eight national rail jam contest parties at ski resorts across the nation. “This is the only contest series that includes a live hip-hop music contest all day called The “Battle Below Zero,” and on-snow graffiti” says tour impresario and multi-entrepreneur Timmy Grins.
 

Up to 150 riders and skiers will compete at each stop in a competition conducted in true jam format, meaning contestants take as many turns as they can fit in riding the handrail setup during the contest. Judges are stationed at each feature to provide the best scoring coverage possible. Each of four divisions will be competing for cash and prizes and there are music and dance after-parties at each stop on the tour.

“Rail Jams are the best event going for snow sport spectators” says Lauren Traub Teton, editor of SnowboardSecrets.TV and a sponsor of the tour. “Non-stop snowboard and ski derring-do riding on handrails, irresistible dance music, everyone dressed to the nines, and tons of swagger, all right before your eyes. It’s better than Cirque du Soleil! You don’t even have to be a skier or snowboarder to come out and check out this action, the rail jam is usually a short walk from the base lodge” says Ms. Teton. She adds “dress warmly and wear thick soled boots.”

The eight stops this season are:

• January 1, Killington, VT
• January 8, Mountain Creek, N.J.
• January 22, Raging Buffalo, Ill.
• January 29, Echo Mountain, Colo.*
• February 5, Arizona Snowbowl, Ariz.*
• February 12, Bogus Basin, Idaho*
• February 19, Mountain High, Calif.
• February 26, Beech Mountain, N.C.

New venues to the 3^rd Rail Jam this year are Killington, VT, Echo Mountain, CO, Arizona Snowbowl, and Bogus Basin, in Boise, Idaho. Each resort will design its own rail setup, and Under Armour will be awarding gear to the resort terrain park teams who create the sickest rail array. In past years Mountain Creek, NJ, Mountain High, CA, and Beech Mountain, NC had outstanding rail designs for the 3^rd Rail Jam.

Hip-hop culture reigns supreme at the Under Armour 3rd Rail Jam with live painting demos by graffiti crews and a freestyle music competition. The “Battle Below Zero” will have as many as eight MCs performing their best tracks and being judged on their swagger, flow, style, lyricism, and their ability to rock the crowd. Snowboarder Joe Valerie of Milford, NJ is the on-snow Master of Ceremonies.

Judges of the music competition are D.J. Dolamarx of “the coffin” radio show, DJ Image, a Bum Squad DJ, meaning he is one of the top 400 DJs in America and the world, and Timmy Grins, artist, entrepreneur and Tour Producer. A customized online radio station has been created for the tour with Slacker. The 3^rd Rail Jam station is filled with original hip-hop, rock, funk, and soul taken completely from DJ Image’s impressive 20,000-plus record collection. Listen at www.Slacker.com/3rdrailjams.

Event sponsors include some of the biggest names in fashion, action sports and technology such as Under Armour, Kangol, Bern, Beats by Dr. Dre, 33Third, Grenade, Launch Snowboards, and SnowboardSecrets.TV. The event’s energy continues as each rail jam is followed by pulsating after-parties that feature hot DJs, break dance crews and live hip-hop performances At each stop of the tour, sponsors will showcase their latest product lines and conduct giveaways for attendees.

Tour Promoter Timmy Grins throws down the gauntlet when he says “We intend to upset the set-up. We're carving out our own lane. For those who want to get in, we've got plenty of room for you. And if you don't, that's fine, you just won't be on the V.I.P. list for the after-party. But your girl will!”

The competition has four divisions: 15 and under, all girls, best of breed and skiers. Entry fee is $25, and $5 of each fee is donated to Amped 4-A-Cure, Cancer Research Foundation that uses music to help fight Cancer To register for the 3rd Rail events, go to www.3rdrailjam.com.

When asked how the contest came to be, Timmy Grins said “Patrick Hession, had an idea about trying to create a hip-hop/snow sport competition back in 2008. I do a lot of hip hop based events, and I always looked at skate and snow culture as a seamless progression of the hip hop lifestyle. You can see hip hop on the mountain and in the skate parks, and it's just a matter of giving it a forum. Which is what we’re doing with the 3rdRail Jam Series.

“How to Do the Rail Jam” video by SnowboardSecrets.TV tells you what to wear and where to stand to enhance your rail jam spectator experience.
http://www.snowboardsecrets.tv/video.php?id=170

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Theives love to steal snowboards Examiner.com - USA by Richard Macialek, Pennsylvania Snowboarding Examiner Park City's recent police blotter reported that several snowboards had been stolen from the slopes. ... See all stories on this topic
Don't let this happen to YOU! Lock your snowboard and register the serial number on SnowboardRegistry.com!

2010 Winter Dew Tour Breckenridge – Snowboarding

2010 Winter Dew Tour Recap – Snowboarding

By Jackie Williams

The Nike 6.0 Winter Dew Tour finished up this past weekend in Breckenridge, Colorado with some awesome highlights. First, riders got to compete on Breck’s brand new 22-ft Superpipe. All of the athletes I talked to were super stoked about it; it enabled them to progress as riders and to be able to throw harder tricks. Another highlight is Jamie Anderson’s fifth 1^st place win in the Winter Dew Tour, first in the contest’s history. Everyone welcomed back Kevin Pearce, who was there to cheer on all the riders. He seemed the most excited to be there, making it the first competition he’s gone to since his accident last year before the Olympics.

For anyone not in the competition, they were enjoying the huge amount of powder that was falling all weekend. For those who were competing, it just meant a little frustration. All the fresh snow made the Superpipe super slow. But crowd favorite, Louie Vito dominated the Superpipe Finals and received a score of 90.25, while Queralt Castellet won the women’s Finals with her barrage of back 3, front 9, back 3 grab, front 5, back 5 and front 7.

SNOWBOARDING SUPERPIPE FINALS RESULTS

WOMEN

1. Queralt Castellet 85.25

2. Elena Hight 80.50

3. Kaitlyn Farrington 74.25

MEN

1. Louie Vito 90.25

2. Matt Ladley 75.00

3. Greg Bretz 73.75

The next day was the Snowboard Slopestyle Finals, along with more snow. Riders had to choose which drops, rails, and jumps they’d work for the best score. Slopestyle is the event to watch and really see the riders’ skills, from double cork 10s, backside 9s, you name it. They just come hurling themselves over these huge jumps like it’s nothing. When you’re there you really see how amazing and crazy they are. The talent is getting better and younger every day. Makes you want to step up your game after seeing what these teenagers can do!

SNOWBOARDING SLOPESTYLE FINALS RESULTS

WOMEN

1. Jamie Anderson 93.00

2. Charlotte Van Gils 84.50

3. Cheryl Maas 70.00

MEN

1. Torstein Horgmo 96.50

2. Mark McMorris 93.75

3. Chas Guldemond 88.50

Next stop for the Winter Dew Tour will be Killington, Vermont, January 20-23 and then finishing up the series in Ogden, Utah February 10-13.

SNOWBOARD FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS

SNOWBOARD FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS

Winners announced of SNOW FILM FEST NYC 2010 AWARDS
PRESENTED BY SKULLCANDY

Filmmakers, Athletes, Industry and NYC ski and snowboarders pack 2 days of screenings at Tribeca Cinemas

See Lauren Traub Teton's Live Report about attending the Snowboard Film Festival here.
Videos with filmmakers and stars of the Snow Film Festival here.

New York, NY, November 22, 2010 – With two days of sold out screenings, over 2,500 people in attendance and numerous premieres and parties, the first annual Snow Film Fest NYC presented by Skullcandy (SFFNYC) wrapped up in the late hours of Sunday morning at Tribeca Cinemas and Lounge. The 2010 SFFNYC, held November 19th and 20th, featured an unprecedented arrangement of 24 ski and snowboarding films from around the world, intimate Q&A sessions with the filmmakers and athletes and lively parties with libations courtesy of Omni Wines Mille and the Skullcandy DJ crew.

The votes are in from our official 2010 screening panel and we are proud to announce the winners:

Best 2010 Ski Film:
THE WAY I SEE IT. Matchstick Productions brings the audience a work of epic proportions, catching the best athletes doing what the do best- skiing faster, spinning while flipping and grabbing and stalking the deepest stashes of snow, while still reminding the audience what makes this sport so special: adventure, passion, camaraderie and fun.
Best 2010 Snowboard Film:
NOWHERE. The Absinthe crew put on film the answer to a common question: What is the difference between exploring and being lost? Where you are lost or exactly where you want to be, it all depends on how you look at it. And this year we are looking at some pretty heavy shredding.

Best Documentary 2010:
SWIFT. SILENT. DEEP. Troy Beauchamp tells the compelling story of the most infamous secret ski fraternity, the Jackson Hole Air Force and the evolution of 50 years of extreme skiing.
Sean Pettit, Cody Townsend and Herik Windstedt take home the Best 2010 Ski Segment with their tricks in Matchstick’s THE WAY I SEE IT and Lucas Debari and Blair Habenicht steal the top prize for Best 2010 Snowboarding Segment for their combo part in Absinthe’s NOWHERE

NOWHERE rounds out their huge weekend wins with Best Cinematography 2010 award to Absinthe.

Swiss Artist Cali P takes home the Best Musical Score for Inspired media Concepts, Like a Lion soundtrack.

No surprise here that Viewer’s choice for Best 2010 Ski flick went to East Coast based Meathead Films’ WORK IT OUT. The SATURDAY NIGHT RIDE was unquestionably voted Viewer’s Choice 2010 Snowboard flick, entertaining the crowd with their creative fusing of shredding and pro wrestling in an all new sport.

Thanks to our distinguished 2010 SFFNYC screening panel for spending hours volunteering their time to watch these films: Senior Editor ESPN Action Sports Micah Abrams, UX Entertainment Group’s founder and producer Jason Burgh, CEO of Armada Skis Erik Snyder, David Reddick of Powder Magazine, art + music buff Pedro Mena, Shredder and athlete manager Yulin Oliver, Photog Craig Wetherby, Nikki Scoggins of Vans, and Mascha Van Tongeren of Shredunion.com.

Throughout the weekend, seven photographs curated by SFFNYC's official media partners, Powder and Snowboarder Magazines and two snowboard setups courtesy of Salomon, were up for grabs via a silent auction which raised $5,000 for Stoked Mentoring. SFFNYC also raffled off tons of prizes from our partners at Eastern Mountain Sports, Skullcandy, Killington, Surefoot, Baldface, The Northface and Nike 6.0 to raise money for the charity.

For a taste of true NYC, festival attendees were treated to old fashioned Egg creams courtesy of the Brooklyn Farmacy and Ice Cream Soda Fountain Shop. Popchips and Vitacoco also kept attendees hydrated and snacked in between screenings.

SFFNYC would like to thank our filmmakers for their continued dedication to bringing snow enthusiasts awesome eye candy and amping us up for the winter ahead: Swift Silent Deep Productions, Forum, Riley Poor, Travis Limoge/Pirate Productions, Gregory Stump, Chris James and Meathead Films, Jeremy Mills, Stan Evans, Rene Eckert, Eric Iberg, Shayne Nelson and Matt Koskenin/Inspired Media Concepts, Gerald Salmina, Steve Jones/Teton Gravity Research, Waide Hoyt and Joseph Fraioli/Standard Films, Erik Lavoie, Meredith Danluck and Jake Burghart, VBS TV, Quiksilver, and Vice Magazine, Level 1, Alterna Films, Absinthe, Poorboyz, Joe Carlino/Transworld, Flow and Andrew Mutty, Kurt Johnson/ WildCard, Think Thank, Poorboyz, and Matchstick.

SFFNYC could not have been made possible without the support of our partners: Joshua Berg, Rob Layer, Dennis Bruce and the entire Skullcandy crew, Tom Horrocks and Jillian from Killington, Alan Ando from Eastern Mountain Sports Soho, Jeff Penceiro from Baldface, Keith Torres of OmniWines, Ashley Otte of Powder Magazine, Chris Engleman of Snowboarder Magazine, Chris Cooper and Adam of Spraying Gravy, Jordan Harris and Justin McManus of SNAP, Sarah Ratcliffe of Surefoot, Thomas Sullivan of Bar13, Peter Freeman of Brooklyn Farmacy, Laurence Chandler of Undergrind + Proof7, VitaCoco, PopChips, Visine, Salomon, Bonfire, The Northface, Nike 6.0, Oakley, and our communities: NY Snowboarding Group, Ski Bums, Hoboken Ski Club, and New York Metropolitan Ski Council.

The inaugural SNOW FILM FEST NYC brought together avid ski and snowboarders, legendary photographers, film buffs and New York City audiences fascinated by the winter sports. It was a celebration of both the East Coast ski and snowboarding communities and the larger snow industry, but also the artistic integrity of the action sports film genre. Be sure to continue to check in at www.snowfilmfesnyc.com for images of the festival and updates on the 2011 installation.



www.SnowFilmFestNYC.com

Snowboarding Films at Fest NYC Live Report - November 19 and 20, 2010

Snowboarding Films at Snow Film Fest NYC Live Report

by Lauren Traub Teton

The Snow Film Fest NYC 2010 kicked off at the Tribeca Cinemas last night and takes place November 19 and 20, 2010. This is the most snowboard fun we’ve had in NYC since last season’s Burton B movie premiere and party at the same spot. Filmmakers and athletes have flown in from as far away as Cali and Europe to support their ski and snowboard films and the public is there to show the love.

See videos with filmmakers and stars of the Snow Film Festival here.
See Snowboard Film Festival winners announcement here.

Twenty-four films have been chosen by a panel of industry experts for showing at Snow Film Fest NYC, and there will be prizes awarded in several categories including Best Feature, Best Short, Best Maneuver, Best Cinematography, Best Musical Score, and Best Animation. It’s not just a “sitting and watching films” festival because the Tribeca Cinemas has a full on bar and party room on premises and as viewers exit the theatre they are ushered right into the door of the party.

The pre-parties started on Thursday night at Snap sports bar and Epstein’s, so people were stoked and having a good time before the film part of the festival even began. Ticket specials were offered online to help keep guests from having to stand in line and advance sale tickets and movie descriptions are at snowfilmfestnyc.com.

Some of the highlights of Friday night’s snowboard films were Trans World Snowboarding’s “In Color” made by Joe Carlino, Flow’s “Witness the Sickness”and TGR’s “THE BIG ONE.” Meet Joe Carlino who is a surprisingly humble and very nice guy and his mom Maria and dad Sal, in this video. Maria is his unofficial press agent and greatest fan and supplied details of Joe’s previous awards, that Joe was too humble to offer up. Everybody should have Twifties parents like these. Maria kept the stoke going during the film and offered that “the California audience was more effusive during and after the showing.” We particularly enjoyed Chris Bradshaw's rail jam part set to Screaming Jay Hawkins “Put a Spell on You.” Seeing an athlete ride rails in two directions, that is: down, and then perpendicular was a new one on this snowboard journalist. Bradshaw aficionados Kade Madsen and the Sparta crew opined that this was not even the best they’ve seen from Bradshaw.

“Witness the Sickness” from the mind of Mutty and executed by the Flow Team is a fun offering and we’re still wondering how Tim Humphreys had the camera attached to his arm while filming himself in the air with psychedelic wind and graphics all around. And we’re loving Brandon Reis’ part set to Devo’s “Uncontrollabe Urge.” Scotty Lago is a lovable magnet for trouble as witnessed by his Olympic medal conversation on Jimmy Kimmel and a very broken motel room door with an angry owner outside. Turns out Flow is using all that footage that usually ends up on the cutting room floor and have turned it into a weekly series called “The Life” that will be released on Wednesdays. See our video interview with Kade Madsen at the Festival.

THE BIG ONE is a 16 mm compilation of 10 years of Teton Gravity Research’s epic ski and snowboard moments at their home laboratory in Jackson Hole, WY. The film premieres at the festival and we caught up with filmmaker Steve Jones who shared stories, including loading a film’s worth of reels backwards back in the day and ending up with nothing but “red.”

Saturday night expected high points on the snowboard side were the world premiere of "Todcast The Movie" starring Todd Richards. We expected zany fun ala Todd in this one as we followed Todd Richards and his crew on their misadventures through New Zealand, Alaska, and beyond as they look for snow, waves, skateparks, massage parlors, and mischief. Frankly, who wants to be on a vacation trip with a cranky Todd Richards, even if it's for snowboarding, surfing, and skating. We never did see any search for massage parlors, though the helicopter hot tub scene was a nice surprise. The filmmakers told us they had to cut out the part where Todd had settled into a lodge and made friends with a cat, while the rest of the crew was chomping at the bit waiting for filming weather.

Also Saturday night is “At Equilibrium” whose director Rene Eckert (video interview here) is traveling the world premiering his film in 40(!) locations. AT EQUILIBRIUM is the fourth of a series of eastern European snowboard documentaries. After “Poland – A snowboard documentary”, “Slovaki A true movie about snowboarding” and last years highlight “From Romania with Love” this documentary deals with the passionate people developing snowboarding in Bulgaria. The snowboarders in "At Equilibrium" are amazingly similar to the ones I meet out on the hills here but Rene tells us that a snowboard costs the equivalent of several weeks pay in Bulgaria, keeping it as a sport for the privileged or sponsored.

“Stance” is the latest effort of Jmills Ent and is an exclusively female snowboard film to that aims to start a larger initiative to push snowboarding’s creative and cinematic boundaries. We interviewed filmmaker Jeremy Mills and two of the stars, Hana Beamon and Erin Comstock at the festival and Jeremy tells us how he achieved one of the highest viewerships of all time on this movie. Stan Evans is Jeremy's partner and his radio background helped insure that each rider's part worked fantastically with her music. We came in on the end of the movie and were thrilled to see two of the most exciting, and fun parts of the season. Lisa Filzmoser (killing it in her Helly Hansen) and RaewynReid (with a TWO song part!) are new heroes on our list of exciting riders this season.

Jeremy Pettit gave us a quick interview before his humourous film Forum's "F*ck IT" played. He has made so many snowboard films he can't even remember how many. Glad this snowboard film festival is finally giving us a chance to meet the eyes behind the lenses.

One film that has me curious because unlike much snow porno, it has a plot and a very offbeat one at that, is “The Saturday Night Ride.” Listen to this: When an ex pro snowboarder is released from prison for a crime he didn’t commit, the snowboarding world he thought he could return to has become something far beyond his wildest dreams. Pro wrestling and snowboarding have become fused into an all-new sport. Every Saturday night championship bouts are broadcast live on prime time TV. The riders have all become obsessed with battling each other in the ring and on the jump, in a quest to gain the world championship belt.” We saw the film and the plot was actually a tongue-in-cheek humorous pretense for the usual multi-part snowboard film. But the most amazing thing was that they actually built a boxing ring on snow and had riders jump over it with a lively crowd cheering it all on. We love creativity and humor in snowboard films.

"Hooked" by Pirate Movie Productions out of Europe also had a plot involving imprisoned snowboard pirates trying to break out of a castle. (Why do all the films with plots feature snowboarders in prison, we wonder?) Travis Limoge, originally of Essex Junction, VT and now marketing guy of PMP explained in the Q and A session how the snowboarders were summoned to the castle in Austria, not knowing what to expect, and became actors in costume as well as doing their snowboard parts for the film.

Absinthe's "Nowhere" finished the snowboard side of the festival at 1 a.m. in fitting style. To tell you the truth, after seeing 6 snowboard films on Saturday night, I don't remember much about it! There was a late party 'til 4a.m. back at Snap but lots of people stayed around the party lounge right at the Tribeca Cinemas til after 2 a.m. on Saturday night. This year’s first ever Snow Film Fest NYC can already be declared a smashing success and next year’s will be bigger and better once the word gets out that this is the best pre-season party anywhere!

Lauren Traub Teton is a video journalist, photographer and writer covering snowboard events, athletes, and parties as well as a snowboard safety advocate. She is the founder of SnowboardSecrets.TV and SnowboardSecrets.com. Also SnowboardRegistry.com, SnowboardEventsCalendar.com, and SnowboardProfiles.com.Also Flexmeters.com Snowboard and Skateboard wrist guards designed by a doctor. And Twifties.TV, for the FUN people over 50.

Get your message out to a laser targeted audience by being a sponsor on these sites.

Flow - Witness the Sickness

Witness the Sickness !!!

By Lauren Traub Teton

Everybody’s talking about the music! This season’s Flow snowboard flick doesn’t stick to the usual gangster tracks and instead offers an eclectic variety of music from jazz to Devo. It dares to be different!

A jazzy rock score and animated images over the opening credits alert us that this is not just like all the other snowboard video offerings. We strongly approve of the fact that each rider’s name appears on the screen and it’s also a cool innovation that some of the dialog is sub-titled which worked out great when we saw this film for the first time at The North Star club in Boston last week with dj dance tracks playing over the film’s soundtrack.

Jeremy Thompson has the first big role in this flick. We like his part despite (or because of?) the number of falls of his that are shown. And who knew he could speak Japanese almost well enough to meet a girl?

Brandon Reis is big in Japan and his part is irresistible because it’s done to music by Devo, playing Uncontrollable Urge. We love the double front flip. Tim Humphreys goes huge and really gets around, to Japan, Mount Snow Vermont, Hunter Mountain NY, Sun Valley ID, June Mountain, and Sierra at Tahoe, CA, apparently filming himself as he flies through a psychedelic tunnel of wind and color.

We see part of Scotty Lago’s Olympic half pipe run and see him on Jimmy Kimmel’s TV show swinging the Olympic bronze over his head as he and Jimmy discuss other places Scotty‘s medal has shown up in the media. Also, what is that broken hotel room door with the angry motel owner outside? Poor Scotty is a magnet for trouble and we love him. The whole Flow team each gets a shot or 2 in this 27 minutes. We wish there was more of Sarka Pancochova riding, and especially expounding verbally as she does in her opinionated style. See our interview with Sarka at the Winter Dew Tour 2010 at Mount Snow. And to see what went into making this film, see the short video called The Life here.

Want to see video interviews we made with the Flow Team?

Sarka Pancochova Interview - Winter Dew Tour 2010 at Mount Snow, Vermont





Shane Fortier Interview with Ryan Paris and Graham Hoffman

Scotty Lago US Open Winner interview on the way to the podium







Flow Team Interview: Tim Humphreys, Brandon Reis, Jeremy Thompson and Kade Madsen


Gabe McGovern Interview US Open 2010 Thrsday



Brandon Reis + Nick Julius Interview - Winter Dew 2010 at Mount Snow, Vermont

Snowboard Films - Sugarloaf - Big Mountain. Big Love.

Sugarloaf, The Movie - Big Mountain Big Love
by Lauren Traub Teton

Sugarloaf pride runs deep!

Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine has put out their own film this season and props and kudos to any mountain that takes on and successfully kills it like this on a project of this magnitude. We have two conclusions after watching this 21 minute video: Sugarloafers fiercely love their mountain, and if you haven’t had the Sugarloaf experience yet, you are missing something.

We learn some of the history of the mountain with lots of clips of rhythmic old school skiing and interviews. The canoe races, T-Bar, the infamous Red Stallion that had the only live rock acts in Maine at the time, and the sad (but funny) tale of anyone who tried to sleep upstairs while the band was playing. We learn that the trails are named after logging terms.

Twelve minutes in we join the modern world with the creation of Carrabasset Valley Academy in 1982 which has produced Olympians medalists in the three disciplines of freestyle, alpine skiing, and snowboarding. Seth Wescott, the two-time Olympic Gold snowboard winner in Snowboardcross shares his insights. Deep blue skies, and happy people who are proud to be Sugarloafers, is the message we carry away and that makes us want to make the long trek up to Sugarloaf for the first time ever, this season.

See our video interview with Seth Wescott after he brushes his teeth with Crest Pro Health!

Snow Film Fest NYC 2010

Snow Film Fest NYC 2010

by Lauren Traub Teton of SnowboardSecrets.TV

Hey snowboarders, (skiers too),

If you’ve been waiting for the snowboard film festival season to start like I have, you are going to FLIP like I did when you hear this news. New York City is hosting a SNOW Film Festival. November 19 and 20 at the Tribeca Cinemas. Over 25 movies will be shown, with a non-stop party in the adjacent lounge space right in the Tribeca Cinemas. The ski clubhouse will have a bar, DJs, dancing, and likely a free liquor pour or two from the liquor sponsors.

We asked the event producer (and owner) Morgan Rae Berk how she was able to pull off this miraculous feat. We have put together a snowboard film party or two and we know what’s involved. It turns out Morgan is also producer of the NY Surf Festival for the last three years. She says her friends in the snow industry were bothering her saying “why aren’t you doing this for snow sports?” So she did and says the logistics are the same for putting on one movie or 21.” It will be more highly attended because there’s a collection of movies to curate, not just one movie” says Ms. Berk who is both a skier and snowboarder.

Athletes like Gretchen Bleiler, Grete Eliassen, Steve Jones from TGR and Tanner Hall are expected to be in attendance. The non-profit partner of the festival is Stoked Mentoring. They use action sports as a vehicle to mentor under-privileged youth and are happy if you want to volunteer at Stoked.org. Speaking of volunteering, you can help out at the festival and get to see some free movies.

Tickets go on sale November 5. You can get your tickets early starting November 1 using the presale code SFFriend10.

See the full festival lineup at http://www.snowfilmfestnyc.com/

Movies were submitted by the producers and 40% of them are movie premieres.

Here’s what the fest will include.

· Three days of screenings of independent short and feature films, cult classics, and world premieres from established snow filmmakers

· Q&A Sessions with filmmakers and notable snow athletes

· Panel Discussions on topics such as travel, the snow filmmaking craft and environmental issues concerning the snow peaked mountains of the world

· Snow Art & Expo showcasing new winter action sport products

Partners of the Festival from the snow industry are Powder Magazine and Snowboarder Magazine. Also local brands like, EMS, Killington, and a general partnerships with Ski Bums and the Fordham University Ski Club.

Have Your Own TV Channel!

On Line TV Channels Invented - TVCOL.TV

Internet entrepreneur Lauren Traub Teton claims she has invented the perfect TV channel format for the Internet. The new TV channel software created by Ms. Teton is called TVCOL.TV for "TV Channel OnLine." Ms.Teton says "TV is new again. Three minutes is the new 30-minute show and 5 minutes is the new one-hour show. Telephones are the new TVs. And real people shown in video using products they really use is the new advertising, instead of paid actors pretending to use products they've never used."

"We need this TV Channel template for the internet now! Anyone who has over 9 videos posted on YouTube understands that they need an inviting attractive way to offer viewers their content in categories. Youtube serves the viewer by offering related content by other producers, but that will distract the viewer away from the target videos. We work WITH Youtube so your viewers have the option of also easily seeing what YOU have to offer on YOUR channel."

Teton and her tech partners have created TV Channels Online in an easy-to use format that let's the owner of the channel, group together videos or even text articles of their choosing from anywhere on the net, and categorize them to offer the viewing public on one site. Once a video is posted online, it takes 3 minutes to add it to your channel, and can be done from any computer that's online. See examples of TVCOL.TV at Twifties.TV and SnowboardSecrets.TV.

"The format is simple to use and available for licensing so that any person or business can now have their own TV channel on the internet virtually overnight" says Teton. "You bring the URL, we bring the software and get you started. We've been waiting for someone to figure out the progression of TV onto the internet. Original content and ease of use is it. Rehashing network TV shows from the 80's is not it."

Ms. Teton is the creator of: Twifties, SnowboardSecrets, Name One,TakingNames.com, Flexmeters.com, SnowboardEventsCalendar.com, SnowboardRegistry.com, SnowboardProfiles.com, realpeoplemarketing.com, OneTakeVideo.TV, TV Channels Online.TV and more.

For more info and to get your TV Channel Online up and running, contact Lauren@SnowboardSecrets.com and put "TVCOL.TV" in the subject line.

Ms. Teton has posted over 100 video vignettes on Youtube in 1 year and has received over 100,000 views. She has several "hit" videos that have gotten over 1000 views a day. And she has figured out a way to monetize her videos.

All this and she still has time to run 3 businesses and snowboard 30 days a year. She teaches her easy quick method of One Take Video that allows users to make and upload a video vignette in an hour or less. No expensive equipment or previous training or experience is needed to make videos this way. To learn Lauren's method for fast "no waste" video production contact Lauren@SnowboardSecrets.com and put "One Take Video" in the subject line.

###
Ed Hardy Snowboard Gear for Sale - RARE! On SALE!!
The RadXSports Store on eBay has a limited number of Men's and Women's Free Ride and Free Style boards designed by renowned Tattoo Artist Ed Hardy from the Winter 2010 Collection. The prices are marked down for the end of season sale. These are high performance boards manufactured in Slovakia at the Elan factory. The boards are sales rep samples and we have one of each design. Since the Hardy company never went into production with the full product line, there are maybe 10 of each in existence. That makes it collectible art as well as a great ride. They come without bindings. Details at http://stores.ebay.com/radxsports.

Flexmeter Special!

Flexmeter Snowboard Gloves with Wrist Guards Built-In - SALE

March 1, 2010 -Size Medium Flexmeter Gloves with Wrist Guards Built-In are on SALE in US - limited quantities. This offer only until we sell our overstock. Flexmeter gloves and wrist guards are designed by medical trauma specialist Dr. Marc-Herve Binet, of Avoriaz Resort, France. They are the only sports wrist guards designed by a doctor and proven to reduce snowboard wrist injuries by 67 to 85%.

Flexmeter Medium Gloves with protective splint built-in - were $120 plus shipping - now $100 plus shipping.

Flexmeter Medium Gloves with dual protective splint built-in - were $140 plus shipping - now $120 plus shipping.

To take advantage of this limited time and quantity offer, you must email Lauren@SnowboardSecrets.com for ordering instructions. This offer will be rescinded when the overstock is sold out.

Other Flexmeter sizes and products are available at www.Flexmeters.com.
Azzpadz Tailbone protectors available too.

What kind of safety protection should you wear for snowboarding? See video demo of Lauren wearing her Flexmeter Wrist Guards and Azzpadz in the famous video "You Don't Have to Hurt Yourself to Snowboard!" Article too. Here. http://www.snowboardsecrets.com/secrets.htm

Are Flexmeter Gloves warm? Yes! See our chairlift interview and demo here!.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQNIeunSP80 .

Flexmeter wrist guards are available without the gloves and are used as serious wrist protection in sports such as skateboarding, ice skating, inline skating, horseback riding, football, baseball, Trikke riding, BMX, bicycle riding, and more. www.Flexmeters.com

March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month

March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month

Dear Readers,

With the recent tragic brain injury of pro snowboard Kevin Pearce, and the shocking death of Natasha Richardson last winter after a seemingly minor bump on the head skiing, I want to bring this information to light. If you spend time doing and around active sports, you see people get conked on the head plenty. It's no joke. Read this and be educated about traumatic brain injury (TBI) and know what to do if you suspect it.

Lauren
editor SnowboardSecrets.com
and SnowboardSecrets.TV

Tips on Recognizing, Treating Brain Injuries During National Awareness Month in March

Spring break vacationers advised to exercise caution, plan ahead in case of medical emergencies

Alexandria, VA – As a reminder: March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. So, as Americans head off to sunny beaches, snowy ski resorts and other fun-filled destinations on their spring vacations, the Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) advises them to use caution, to recognize the symptoms of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and to check into supplemental insurance and potential access to medical facilities, particularly if traveling remotely or abroad.

“Air medical crews and emergency physicians see a lot of travel-related injuries at this time of year, especially among college students on spring break,” said AAMS President Daniel Hankins, MD, FACEP. “That is why AAMS is urging everyone to exercise caution, to wear a helmet when engaging in activities that involve the risk of head injury, and to know when to seek medical attention for a TBI.”

One such student is Brandon Lacko of Columbus, Ohio, who suffered a severe head injury while jet skiing off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and required medevac transport back to the States following his accident.

“The local hospital was not able to treat Brandon’s brain swelling and other severe injuries, so he had to be airlifted,” said his mother, Renae Lacko. “The air-medical crew and U.S. trauma center team saved his life.”

Swift medical attention for TBI is key, experts say, because while most patients — who number about 1.4 million every year — are treated and released, TBI is still a major cause of death and disability, with approximately 50,000 Americans dying from it annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The good news, though, is that TBI often can be successfully treated if caught in time. “That is why it is imperative to recognize the signs and symptoms,” said Dr. Hankins. “Repeated vomiting, severe headache, dilated pupils, sudden lethargy, trouble focusing or remembering and rapid deterioration after a period of lucidity – these are all possible indicators of a potentially serious brain injury, which demands immediate medical attention.”

In addition to promoting TBI awareness, AAMS offers the following spring-break travel safety tips:

- Plan for potential medical emergencies. Most medical insurance plans do not offer coverage abroad, so check into short-term travel insurance and a medical evacuation membership. Also, know the location and type of medical facilities near your travel destination, and get a MedicAlert bracelet for any potential health complications.
- Make duplicates of travel and medical documents. Leave photocopies of your passport, itinerary, medical information and credit cards at home. Don’t keep all IDs, money, credit cards and travel tickets in the same place.
- Do your homework. Register international travel with the State Department, at https://travelregistration.state.gov, and check the CDC, at wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/, for travelers’ health tips.
- Get adequate training before participating in potentially risky recreational activities, especially when renting equipment – including skis, motor-bikes, boats or scuba gear. Also, use caution and obey the rules.
- Wear an ASTM-approved helmet when engaging in fast-action sports or recreational activities.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Protect your wrists and tailbone when snowboarding.
www.Flexmeters.com

Sarka Pancochova and JR Celski interviews at SnowboardSecrets.TV.

Shaun White in Playboy

We just got this early scoop and are publishing it as we received it. Lauren

SHAUN WHITE IS PLAYBOY’S MARCH 20Q

Snowboarding’s Goofy Hero Talks about the Winter Olympics, Growing up with Tony Hawk, the Downside of Super Competitiveness and His Wandering Gold Medal

“It’s funny, because I’ve misplaced it a couple of times,” says Shaun White in Playboy’s March 20Q when asked where he keeps his Olympic gold medal (issue on newsstands now and online at www.playboydigital.com). “Then one day, I was in my mom’s car, and I went to put something in the back pocket of the front seat. I reached in and pulled out my medal. It was in a plastic bag. I was like, What? … So I’m stoked to have it again. It’s now in a safe place in my house in California.”

Shaun—also known as the “Flying Tomato” because of his long red hair—is already a legend in his sport at age 23. In advance of the upcoming Winter Games, he sat down with Playboy contributor Jason Buhrmester to discuss how early success affected his friendships in high school; his role as a stuntman for Disney; early family ski trips in crowded vans and hotel rooms; and whether or not he smoked pot with Michael Phelps. Following are selected quotes from their conversation:

On smoking pot with Michael Phelps: “With Phelpsy? Old Smoke on the Water? No. To be honest, I’ve never been into going there. My friends, I’ll admit, most of them do.…and now, because it’s Olympic time and everybody’s getting tested for drugs, you see them just sweating bullets, man. I’m like, Ah, whatever.”

On the pressure to perform in the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics: “Since I was 13 or so, I can’t remember showing up to an event where I wasn’t the guy to beat. I’ve always been that guy. Not that I was the best guy, but I was always the one who was counted on to perform at a certain level. And I like it, man… I can sit back and go, Wow, if everybody wants to talk to me about the Olympics, that means they think I have a really good shot at doing well. That’s an amazing feeling—that all these people have my back, in a way. To a certain extent they believe in me. I use that. I had a friend who put money on me last time around. I was like [pumps fist], Yeah! [laughs]”

On whether or not he cried after winning a gold medal in 2006: “It was debatable, man…I was starting to get choked up and I was at the point of crying—almost. I mean, my parents were there, the entire world was watching. And I remember Danny Kass made a joke. I swear. So it was a mix of a cry and a humorous thing that pulled me right out of it.”

On being upset at missing the 2002 Olympic snowboard team: “Well, I was 15. I didn’t really understand what the Olympics are all about. But everybody became aware of it in 2002 because the Americans swept the podium. All of the sudden it was this big deal…at that point I understood. I started seeing these guys everywhere, and I was getting phone calls about this guy being the best rider in the world. I was like, Yeah, I’m sure he’s great at that, but he doesn’t do everything. I pride myself as a snowboarder who can ride jumps, half-pipes, rails, whatever you put out there. So I was more upset to go through five contests and not make the big party at the end, ­you know?”

On his blue-collar background and family snowboard trips: “At first we’d take a really small van and drive up and stay at a Motel 6. We’d pile into a room and drop one mattress onto the floor and leave just the box spring for Dad. It was funny because I didn’t know any better. I thought, That’s cool—a slumber party. I was stoked. I had fun. And it made it possible for me to snowboard.”

On how high school classmates treated him after winning his first X Games medals: “That’s when it got weird. I was super-shy. I didn’t know what to do in that scenario. I remember being at school and thinking, Wow, these kids are really digging what I’m doing. This is awesome, and I’ve got all these friends. Then I started to pick apart the friends I had, like, this guy keeps asking me for stuff; this is just getting weird. I realized I was over it.”

On growing up with Tony Hawk: “He’s just a funny guy; he’s a great person. He has never sat me down and said, ‘Hey, here’s some great advice.’ It doesn’t really work like that with him. I was lucky to be introduced to the only guy I knew who could relate somewhat to what was going on with me. I remember hanging with him at airports, getting approached by tons of people and seeing how he dealt with it and how he was cool to every fan who came up. I’d see where he would draw the line and say, ‘Hey, give me a little space.’”

On doing stunt work for Disney: “It’s funny now because we were talking to Disney people about some stuff recently, and I told them, ‘I don’t know if you guys know this, but there was a show called The Jersey, and I used to stunt double on the show for this one kid, Elliott.’ I did skateboard and BMX stuff and even Rollerblading if they needed it. I mean, the kid couldn’t even ride a bike.”

Olympic Athlete Interviews from SnowboardSecrets.TV

OLYMPIC ATHLETE INTERVIEWS HERE!!

The Snowboard Szine
SPECIAL BULLETIN !

exclusive from SnowboardSecrets.com
and our new snowboard internet TV channel
www.SnowboardSecrets.TV

from Lauren@SnowboardSecrets.com
2/15/10 Seth Westcott has Flexmeter Wrist Guards

==========================================
In This Issue
==========================================
Lauren is on a "radio tour" explaining Snowboarding in the Olympics and
Twifties and has been on 10 big radio shows in the last 2 weeks! List of shows and
clips here.
Also...

Olympic Athlete Interviews
We've got'em

Tonight is Snowboard Cross (Boardercross) at the Olympics.

This season we interviewed Snowboardcross/Boardercross athletes
Seth Wescott and Nick Baumgartner.
See what they told us about themselves in their word interviews at www.SnowboardProfiles.com.

See the video interview we did of Seth Wescott - find out about the secret tree stashes at Sugarloaf, and what Seth uses for Olympic brilliance on his teeth!
Here.

See the video we did of snowboard athlete and Olympic announcer Todd Richards here.

Torah Bright will compete in the Olympic women's halfpipe Thursday night and has an excellent chance at the podium. See our interview with Torah Bright right after she won the 2009 US Open here.


Shaun White looks good for the men's halfpipe podium for Wed., as long as he isn't too literally bent out of shape from his crash at the X Games. See our summer interview with Shaun White at the Tribeca Film Festival a few years back in NYC.


Torstein Horgmo and Jenny Jones were winners of the Dew Tour at Mount Snow 2 weeks ago. We've got the interviews here!


Shaun White trained in a private secret halfpipe last spring at Silverton, CO. Have you seen the videos? See 'em here!
http://snowboardsecrets.tv/index.php?page=2
http://snowboardsecrets.tv/index.php?page=3

==========================================
There were 100,000 snowboard wrist injuries last year.

Want to reduce the risk of snowboard wrist injuries to you
and your loved ones? Flexmeters!

Flexmeter Wrist Protector Gloves and Flexmeter Wrist Guards - http://www.flexmeters.com .
Flexmeter Snowboard Gloves

I sell this product because I believe in it.
Lauren

==========================================
Athlete Accident Insurance
Covers you 24 hours a day.
Fills in the gap or stands alone
Starting at $17.30 month
XSI
Email Lauren@SnowboardSecrets.com for more info.

===========================================
Thanks for reading the Snowboard Szine!
Don't forget to register your snowboard against theft
at www.SnowboardRegistry.com
===========================================

Skier Overcomes Paralysis

This story isn't about snowboarding, and it isn't even about skiing either though it may seem to be on first glance. It is about inspiration and the strength of the human will, and it brought a tear to my eye, so I will share it with you.
Lauren

Sipapu Employee Baffles Doctors:
Once Paralyzed, Now Skiing


Last week, Sipapu ski shop employee and Las Trampas native Frank Lopez made one extraordinary trip down the mountain at Sipapu. His legs were shaky, and his skis didn’t go very fast. However, this amazing journey had nothing do with his form or speed: Frank was skiing under his own power after countless doctors told him he’d never walk again.

On January 2, 2007, Frank’s day started like any other: he went to his job in Boston and during his lunch hour, he completed his daily workout at the gym. However, when he returned to work, things began to go very wrong.

Just 20 minutes after his workout, Frank felt a wrenching pain in his spine. Shortly thereafter, he began experiencing memory loss. His hands and legs started convulsing, and he was quickly losing feeling in his limbs.

“I knew something was wrong,” Frank said. “I thought it was a stroke, so I left the office and went straight to the subway.”

By the time he reached his subway stop, Frank couldn’t walk and couldn’t feel anything below his waist. With tremendous effort, Frank managed to get a cab and dialed 9-1-1.

By 6 p.m. that evening – less than six hours after his workout – Frank was paralyzed from the neck down.

Over the next three days, hospital physicians ordered a battery of tests to try and diagnose this bizarre paralysis. On January 5 – Frank’s 36th birthday – his doctor said he likely had a blood clot in his spinal cord, which could only be treated by placing a shunt in his spine.

The shunt would cause permanent paralysis.

Doing nothing would mean death, most likely within days.

“Paralysis or death: those were my two options that morning,” Frank said.
Frank agreed to have surgery. He took his last communion. He signed the Do Not Resuscitate form. Then he went to sleep, hoping for a miracle.

Eight hours later, he awoke and learned the good news: he did not have a blood clot in his spine. However, the physicians still had no explanation for his paralysis… nor did they think he would ever walk again.

Frank Lopez had always been an athlete. Growing up, he participated in every sport available in his small Las Trampas community, especially skiing. He was introduced to the sport as a third grader when some friends invited him to try it at Sipapu.

“My parents did not ski, so they didn’t want me to go,” Frank said. “My friends began writing letters to my mom, and she was eventually convinced to let me try it.”

The third grader fell in love with the sport immediately and spent many, many winters on the slopes at Sipapu; eventually he became a rental shop employee and ski school instructor.

“Being an instructor was fascinating,” he said. “I loved being able to instruct kids that wanted to learn,” he said. “I really found the most fulfillment in teaching the most challenging kids. Plus, the more I broke it down for them, the better I became.”

Now the man who had fallen in love with skiing – and sharing that love with others – was suddenly a quadriplegic, and no one could tell him why. In spite of his uncertain prognosis, Frank never gave up.

“I never believed I would be paralyzed for the rest of my life, not for one minute,” he said. “For days, I sat there in the hospital and tried to move my body.”

And finally, a small miracle happened: less than a week after his paralysis, Frank moved his left toe.

Doctors quickly ended the tests to try and diagnose Frank’s problem and, instead, focused their efforts on rehabilitation. After months of exhaustive work, Frank returned to Las Trampas using just a cane to aid his steps.

Once he returned home, Frank continued to do extraordinary things. He rallied his community (where his family was one of the 12 original families who established Las Trampas) to restore the historic Church of San Jose de Garcia. His body also continued to heal: he’s even regained some feeling in his legs – a sensation that doctors said he would never experience again.

His next goal was to ski again at Sipapu.

“I always loved skiing, and I promised myself I would feel that again,” he said. “I knew it would take some work, but it was important to me to do it.”

So, this season, he returned to work in the Sipapu ski shop, helping guests sign up for lessons or rent skis and snowboards. While he worked, he kept thinking about his goal: he wanted to ski on January 5, 2010 – his 39th birthday, and exactly three years to the day that doctors said he would never walk again. But when the big day arrived, Frank nearly talked himself out of it.

“I thought of a million excuses why I wasn’t going to ski,” Frank admits. “I was terrified. I was afraid I’d hurt myself. I feared I wouldn’t be able to feel it again.
Bruce Bolander, the son of Sipapu founders Lloyd and Olive Bolander, and his wife, Winonah, knew of Frank’s goal, and they weren’t going to see him give up.

“I went up to Frank that morning and said, we’re going on the slopes in 30 minutes!” Bruce said.
The Bolanders’ encouragement is just what Frank needed.
Most people are supportive, but Bruce and Winonah actually got in there and helped me achieve my goal,” Frank said. “They really cared about it as much as I did.”

So on the morning of January 5th, Frank stepped into his skis and stood in the lift line “shaking like a leaf.” But with Bruce’s aid, he started skiing.
“I took to it like a duck to water,” he said. “I knew what to do – it just took a lot of effort to make it happen. My legs were trembling from years of atrophy, but I was mostly in control.”

“You could just see the excitement in his eyes,” Bruce said. “His mental memory of skiing is phenomenal.”

When he finished his run and returned to the base area, his elation was obvious to everyone.

“I was doing these wide, long turns. I felt the whoosh of the skis. I felt the breeze,” he said. “And when I finished, all I could think of was three words: I DID IT!”

Physicians continue to have more questions than answers to Frank’s mysterious paralysis. And while it’s painfully difficult to not know why he was paralyzed – and how or if he will ever completely recover – Frank continues to make big goals for himself. His next endeavor is to bike the Boston Marathon.
Until then, he’s happy to be back at Sipapu.

“Lots of people told me I’d never walk again,” he said. “I took it two steps further – I decided I would not only walk again, but I’d ski, too. If someone says you can’t do something, it doesn’t mean it’s true. There’s always hope.”